Multiple-gang disk harrow



p 14, 1954 J. F. RUDE ET AL MULTIPLE-GANG nxsx HARROW 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Feb. 11, 1950 Q 0% on INVENTORS JOHN F. RUDE B ALVAN v. BURCH 7%am ATTORNEYS P 1954 J. F. RUDE ET AL MULTIPLE-GANG DISK HARROW FiledFeb. 11, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 luvzmjons JOHN F. RUDE B ALVAN V. BURCHRTTORNEYS l at entecl Sept. 14, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEMULTIPLE-GANG DISK HARE-W John F. Rude and Alvan V. Burch, Evansville,Ind., assignors. to Burch Plow Works, Inc. Evansville, Ind-., acorporation of Indiana Application February 11, 1950, serial No. 143,7767 '7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to disc narrows, and particularly tomultiple-gang disc barrows in which the individual gangs are separatelyadjustable, and in which the disc gangs can be simultaneously angled bysuitable mechanism interconnecting the same.

One of the rincipal requirements of a disc harrow is that the gangs ofthe narrow shall cut uniformly in depth from one end to the other of thegangs irrespective of the angled position of the gangs relative to eachother.

In multiple disc gangs, it is the common practice to provide a mechanisminterconnecting the forward disc gang with the rear disc gang in such amanner that angling of the forward disc gang will cause simultaneousangling of the rear disc gang. One of the difficulties is to prevent theangling mechanism from affecting the cutting depth of the forward discgang when it is set in various angled positions, the angling mechanismusually causing an increase of pres-'- sure to be applied on the innerends of the front gangs as they become more steeply angled, thus forcingthe inner ends of the front gangs to cut more deeply than the outer endsthereof.

Also, it is desirable that the disc gangs shall be readily removablefrom the draft frame of the harrow for replacement and repair of theequipment.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a multiple gangdisc harrow having a mechanism interconnecting the forward disc gangwith the rear disc gang for simultaneous angling of the rear gang withthe front gang, which mechanism is constructed and arranged in such amanner that operation of the angling mechanism will in no way affect theoperation of the forward disc gang as to the cutting depth thereof.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a multiple discharrow for accomplishing the purpose of the foregoing object wherein themovable draft bar connected with the inner ends of the forward discgangs operates substantially parallel to the draft bar of the harrow sothat fore-andwft movement of the movable draft bar will not vary theeffective pressure applied upon the inward ends of the disc gangs tocause them to cut at a greater depth as the angling of the gangs isincreased.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a multiple discgang ha'rrow in which the disc gangs are readily removable from thedraft frame.

It is still another object of the invention to 3 provide a multiple discgang harrow incorporat ing the purpose of the foregoing obiect wherein aremovable draft link connects the disc gangs with the draft frame tomaintain the gang standards in an upright position. 7

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the drawingsand the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective elevational view of a multiple disc gangharrow incorporating 'fea-' tures of this invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1illustrating the draft link for holding the gang standards in an uprightposition;

Figure 3 is a perspective elevati'ohal view of the angling mechanism forthe gangs of the harrow with certain parts broken away for pur pose ofclarity. v

Figure l is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4 1 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional View taken along line 5-5 of Figure 1illustrating the gangs in aligned position;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional View similar to Figure 5 but illustratingthe gangs in angled position.

In this invention the multiple disc barrow eon sists of a forward draftframe Ill and a rear draft frame 20 that is pivotally connected to thefor ward draft frame by a pivot pin extending dowm wardly from the apex2| of the rear draft frame it into an opening provided in the support rbracket l I carried on the forward draft frame H].

The forward draft frame Ill consists 'of a center bar [2 comprising apair of angle bars l2a and 12b that are joined together at one end by across-frame l3 suitably welded to the center bar. angles [20: and i279,as illustrated in Figure 1. The opposite ends of the center bar angleslid and 2b are interconnected by a bolt 1 4 hav ing a spacer between theangle bars Ho and l2b.

Fixed draft bars 15a and 15h extend between the outer ends of thecross-bar l3 and the center= bar 12, thus providing a substantiallytriangular draft frame It. The rearward ends of the fixed draft bars {5aand lb are provided with draft hooks l6 adapted to connect with thefront disc gangs in a manner hereafter described.

The angling mechanism for the front disc gangs consists of the drafttongue 11 that is slidable between the center bar angles 12a and l2b andrides upon the bolt i4 and the corresponding bolt 18 provided rearwardlyof the bolt I4, as shown in Figure l. The draft tongue i1 is providedwith a lock bar I9 suitably welded to the tongue I1 and is provided withnotches 22 that receive a lock member 23 to fixedly position the drafttongue l1 relative to the center bar I2. The lock member 23 is attachedto a flexible cable 24 by which the lock member is operated to releasethe draft tongue l1 from the center bar I2 so that angling of the discgangs can be obtained.

The rearward end of the draft tongue I1 carries brackets 25 and 26. Amovable draft bar .21 extends from the bracket 25 and a correspondingmovable draft bar 31 extends from the bracket 26 on the ends of whichare provided draft hooks 28.

The front disc gang 30 consists of the individual disc gangs 30a and 30bpositioned at opposite sides of the center bar I2.

The disc gang 30a consists of an axle 3| on which there is mounted aseries of discs 32 held in spaced relationship by spacers 33. The axle3| rides in an inner bearing housing 34 and an outer bearing housing 35which are carried at the lower ends of the gang standard 36. The bearinghousings 34 and 35 each have an elongated slot 38 which receive thedraft hooks I6 and 28 of the fixed draft bar I5b' and the movable draftbar 31, thereby providing draft means connecting the disc gang 30a withthe draft frame II].

The draft hooks 28 and [6 provide means whereby the disc gang 30a canreadily be removed from the draft frame [0 by merely swinging the discgang 30a in a clockwise direction about the draft hooks I6 and 28, asviewed in Figure 2.

Since the gang standard 36 is free relative to the draft frame [0, thereis provided a draft link 39 between the cross-frame [3 of the draftframe I0 and the gang standard 36. This draft link 39 is U-shaped andhas the end 39a thereof extending into an eye 40 welded to thecross-frame member 13, and the opposite end 3% extending into an eye 4|welded to the gang standard 36, as shown in Figure 2. With the link 39extending between the cross-frame member I3 of the draft frame I0 andthe gang standard 36, the gang standard is prevented from clockwiserotation about the draft hooks 28 and I6 while the harrow is inoperation. With the draft links 39 in position, the draft hooks 28 andI6 cannot be removed from the slots 38 since there is insufficientfore-and-aft movement for the hooks 28 and I6 in the slots 38 to permitthe hooks to be removed.

The cooperating forward disc gang 3% is constructed like the disc gang30a heretofore described and is attached to the forward draft frame I0in the same manner as the disc gang 30a.

The rear disc gang consists of the individual gangs 50a and 56b that areattached to the draft frame 20.

The rear draft frame 20 is triangular-shaped and is composed of thecross-bar 5I and the side bars 52, a weight frame 53 being supported onthe draft frame 20. The draft frame 20 also includes the vertical legs54 that engage the outboard bearings of the disc gangs 50a and 565 withthe draft hook 55 in the same manner as heretofore described withreference to the outboard bearing 35 of the forward disc gang 36a, theoutboard bearings 55 being carried on the lower ends of the gangstandards 56a and 56b of the disc gangs 50a and 50b, respectively. The

4 gang standards are also provided with inboard bearings 51 that supportthe axle of the respective disc gangs 50a and 50b.

To provide for angling of the rear disc gangs, a movable draft bar .58extends between the gang standard 56a and a bracket 59 that projectsdownwardly from an actuating bar 60 that slides upon the center bar 6|provided in the draft frame 20. A corresponding movable draft barconnects a bracket 62 on the opposite side of the bar 60 with the gangstandard 561) of the rear disc gang 50b.

The actuating bar 60 is slidably retained on the center bar 61 by thecooperating brackets 56 and 62 and by brackets 64 placed on oppositesides of the center bar 6| near the forward end thereof.

To provide for angling of the rear disc gangs 50a and 5% simultaneouslywith angling of the forward disc gangs 30a and 301) an angling mechanismconnects the movable draft bars 21 and 31 of the forward disc gangs withthe actuating bar 60 of the rear disc gangs'which consists of a link 65connected at one end to the actuating bar 60 and at the opposite end toan angling lever 66. The angling lever 66 consists of a pair of bars 66aand 66b pivotally mounted on the center bar [2 by means of pivot bolts61a and 611) that project through brackets 68a and 68b projecting fromthe center bar angles I2a and I211. The lower ends of the angling leverbars 66a and 6611 are each provided with an elongated slot 10. A pivotbolt 1| extends through the slots 10 into the movable draft bars 21, 31of the forward disc gang.

From the drawings and the foregoing description it will be apparent thatwhen the draft tongue I1 is moved toward the forward disc gang 30 uponsliding of the same within the center bar I2, the movable draft bars 21,31 of the forward disc gang 30 will move the inner ends of the forwarddisc gangs 30a and 30b respectively rearwardly relative to the centerbar [2, thus angling the forward disc gangs.

Movement of the movable draft bars 21, 31 rearwardly, or to the right,as viewed in Figures 1, 5 and 6, will cause the angling lever 66 to movefrom the position shown in Figure 5 to the position shown in Figure 6.This movement will cause the actuating bar 60 for the rear disc gang tomove forwardly, or to the left, as viewed in Figures 1, 5 and 6, thusmoving the inner ends of the rear disc gangs 50a and 50b forwardlyrelative to the center bar 6| to angle the rear disc gangs reversely ofthe angling of the forward disc gangs.

To provide for independent angle adjustment of the rear disc gangs 50aand 5% relative to the forward disc gangs 30a and 3612, the brackets 59and 62 are pivotally connected with the actuating bar 60 by means of apivot bolt H. An adjusting screw 12 extends between the brackets 59 and62 and a pair of brackets 13 rigidly secured to the actuating bar 60.Thus rotation of the adjusting screw 12 between the bracket 13 and thebrackets 59 and 62 will change the angle position of the rear disc gangs50a and 56b relative to the actuating bar 60 and the center bar 6I ofthe rear draft frame 20.

The slotted connection between the angling lever 66 and the movabledraft bars 21 and 31 permits the bars 21 and 31 to move parallel to thecenter bar I2 so that any fore-and-aft movement of the bars 21 and 31will not change the angular relationship of these bars relative to thecenter bar l2 which would cause a change draft pressure applied to theinner ends or the disc gangs d and 30b. Also, it has previ-'- ously beenthe practice to provide the pivot bolt ecnnecnon ll between the anglinglever 66 and the movable draft bars 21 and Si merely through holesprovided in the lever 65 and the bars 21 and 31, in place of the slottedconnection 70 illustrated in Figures 1, 5 and 6.

The previous type of pivot connection between the angling lever BB andthe draft bars 21 and 3? causes the forward end of the draft bars tomove in an are about the pivot bolts 61a and 67b by which the anglinglever 66 is pivoted onto the center bar 1 2. This arcuate movement ofthe forward end of the draft bars 2'! and 37 made 'a change in theangular position of the bars relative to the center bar I2 and relativeto the ground, upon angling of the forward disc gangs which resulted ina change in downward ressure applied to the inner ends of the disc gangscausing them to dig in deeper when the bars 21 and 31 were angledforwardly downwardly in the arcuate swing of the lever 66 and to tend topull out of the ground when the bars a 21 and 31 were angled upwardlyand forwardly when the angling lever 66 was the extreme position 'ofangling, as shown in Figure. 6.

The slotted connection Ill between the angling lever 66 and the draftbars 21 and 31 will thus permit the bars to obtain a 'fdre-and-aftmovethem in a constant plane so that the downward pressure appliedthrough the bars as a result of the draft of these bars will not affectthe cutting depth of the inner ends of the disc gangs.

While the apparatus disclosed and described herein illustrates apreferred form of the invention, yet it will be understood thatmechanical alterations can be made without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, and that all such modifications are intended to beincluded herein as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a disc harrow having a plurality of individual gangs, a draftmeans, a plurality of disc gangs arranged in axially aligned pairs andadapted to be angled relative to each other, said disc gangs havinginner and outer ends with the inner ends of a pair of disc gangs beingadjacent to each other, means providing pivotal connection of the outerend of each of the plurality of gangs to said draft means, movable meanson said draft means for operable connection with the inner end of eachof said gangs for angling thereof upon operation of said movable means,means for connecting said movable means and the inner end of each ofsaid gangs, said last means being movable in a constant angular relationrelative to a horizontal plane through the axes of said gangs, theconnection of said last means and of said pivotal connection to saidgangs consisting of an open hook connection about which the gangs arerotatable for removal from the hook connection, and a removable linkconnection between said draft means and each of said gangs spacedvertically from one of said hook connections to prevent the saidrotation.

2. In a tiller, draft means, tilling means including means removablyattaching said tilling means to said draft means, said attaching meansincluding a rigid member having one end se cured to said draft means andthe other end having a hook passing through an opening said tillingmeans, a second hook on said draft means to pass through a secondopening laterally spaced from said first opening in-said tilling meanswhereby said tilling means is secured against lateral movement, and alink removably connected between said tilling means and'said di' a-ftmeans and spaced vertically above the outer ofsai'd hook-s, said tillingmeans being retrieved by rotating said tilling means about said hooksafter said link has been removed.

3. In a disc tiller, draft a disc gang having a gang standard includingan in-board and an outboard bearing housing, each of said bearinghousings having an opening therein to receive hook means, spaced hookmeans extend ing from said draft means and passing through said openingsfor securing -'said gang to said draft means, said gang being removableby rotation about said hook means, one of said hook means being rigidwith said draft means whereby said gang standard is secured againstlateral movement, and a link interconnecting said draft means with "saidgang standard at the out-board bearing thereof and spaced verticallyfrom the hook means to prevent the said rotation, said link beingremovable from its interconnecting position whereby said gang may berotated about said hook means.

l. In a multiple disc harrow having forward and rear individual gangs,each individual gang comprising a pair of disc gangs arranged in-normalalignment and adapted to be angled rela-' tive to each other, said discgangs having inner and outer ends with the inner ends of a pair of discgangs adjacent to each other, draft frame means, means pivotallyconnecting the outer end of each disc gang to said draft frame means, afirst member slidably mounted on the under surface of said draft framemeans, a second member slidably mounted upon the upper surface of saiddraft frame means, a first means connecting said first member with theinner ends of said forward disc gangs, a second means connecting saidsecond member with the inner ends of said rear disc gangs, a leverpivotally mounted on said draft frame means, said lever connecting saidfirst means with said second member, and including a lost motionconnection between said first means and said lever providing forstraightline movement of said first means relative to arcuate movementof the ends of said lever.

5. In a multiple disc harrow having forward and rear individual gangs,each individual gang comprising a pair of disc gangs arranged in normalalignment and adapted to be angled relative to each other, said discgangs having inner and outer ends with the inner ends of a pair of discgangs adjacent to each other, draft frame means, means pivotallyconnecting the outer end of each disc gang to said draft frame means, afirst member slidably mounted on the under surface of said draft framemeans, a second member slidably mounted upon the upper surface of saiddraft frame means, a first means connecting said first member with theinner ends of said forward disc gangs, a second means connecting saidsecond member with the inner ends of said rear disc gangs, a leverpivotally mounted at its center on said draft frame means, opposite endsof said lever connecting said first means and said second member andincluding a slotted pivot connection between said first means and saidlever providing for straight-line movement of said first means relativeto arcuate movement of the ends of said lever.

6. In a multiple disc harrow having forward and rear individual gangs,each individual gang comprising a pair of disc gangs arranged in normalalignment and adapted to be angled relative to each other, said discgangs having inner and outer ends with the inner ends of a pair of discgangs adjacent to each other, draft frame means, means pivotallyconnecting the outer end of each disc gang to said draft frame means, afirst member slidably mounted on the under surface of said draft framemeans, a second member slidablymounted upon the upper surface of saiddraft frame means, a first means connecting said first member with theinner ends of said forward disc gangs, a second means connecting saidsecond member with the inner ends of said rear disc gangs, a leverpivotally mounted at its center on said draft frame means, a slot in oneend at said lever to receive a pin secured to one end of said firstmeans thereby providing a lost motion connection between said lever andsaid first means, and a pivot connection between the other end of saidlever and said second member.

7. In a multiple disc harrow having forward and rear individual gangs,each individual gang comprising a pair of disc gangs arranged in normalalignment and adapted to be angled relative to each other, said discgangs having inner and outer ends with the inner ends of a pair of discgangs adjacent to each other, draft frame means, means for providing apivotal connection to the outer ends of said disc gangs to said draftframe means, said means comprising an'open hook con nection, a firstmember slidably mounted on the under surface of said draft frame means,a second member slidably mounted upon the upper surface of said draftframe means, a first means comprising an open hock connection connectingsaid first member with the inner ends of said forward disc gangs, asecond means comprising an open hook connection connecting said secondmember with the inner ends of said rear disc gangs, said forward andrear disc gangs being removable by rotation about said hooks, a leverpivotally mounted on said draft frame means, said lever connecting saidfirst means with said second member and including a lost motionconnection between said first means and said lever providing forstraight-line motion of said first means relative to arcuate movement ofthe ends of said lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

